Dream Wing
by Satashi
Summary: NanoFate, shiznat The girls are sent to investigate the "Otome system" of combat by attending Garderobe school. Now training how to be Otome, they meet many people and learn a deeper meaning of friendship.
1. Chapter 1

I gasped lightly when my cell phone started vibrating in my briefcase. Across the room from me I saw, Nanoha quickly reach into hers as well, followed shortly by Hayate shoving her hand inside the bag hanging by her side. All three of us at the same time could only mean one thing: A mission. I discreetly peeked into my bag and saw my phone lit up and demanding to be answered. "T.S.A.B." was flashing across the screen and I licked my lips. Fortunately for us, the bell rang to signal the end of the school day and the three of us took off as fast as we could without looking suspicious. When we all assembled on the roof we took out our phones and answered. Three conversations went on at the same time, but the end result was the same: Report to the briefing room for an assignment. It seemed as if we were going to be given a long distance mission again, on some remote planet accented by a blue star near its moon.

**Dream Wing**

**By: **

**Satashi**

Echoing came down the hallways as the three Aces made their way to the briefing room assigned to them for this current mission. The large regal hallways of the T.S.A.B's main office building towered around them but the three didn't seem nervous as the others around them. Several people stopped in their tracks to salute them. Already they were famous enough to earn nicknames despite only being seventeen years old. Ranks were passed as if they were nothing to the group, mage level far above people twice their age. Their skills were almost legendary, making soldiers think twice before even engaging them in conversation. Their heels clicked when they reached their target door, eyes firm and dedicated.

Nanoha's stomach growled loudly. "I'm hungry..."

Fate facepalmed. "I _told_ you to eat something before we came..."

"Come on," Hayate nodded at them and opened the door to lead her friends in. "We're here!" She declared merrily when she saw Chrono and Lindy sitting in chairs across the single table in the room. "Sorry we are a tad late; we had to wait for class to end." Once they were close enough, she stopped to salute them both before sitting with her partners.

Chrono nodded lightly towards them. "Glad to have you all here again." Leaning forward, he got to the point. "As you may have guessed, we have a mission for you three. This is one that will really push what you have learned."

Nanoha crossed her legs to try and get comfortable in the stiff chair. "What is it?"

Lindy drank from the small cup of tea in front of herself before replying to the question. "We detected a great power resonating from a non-administrated planet near where one of our last missions took place. We sent a team to investigate and got very interesting results back."

"What we found out," Chrono continued where his mother left off, "was that this planet is inhabited by humanoids. Their technology seems to vary from place to place but the main area we are interested in seems to be quite advanced. I would place them slightly above Earth's current state."

Nanoha's interest was perked at hearing that. "So is it Logia class items that make up for the differences in technology in different areas?"

Lindy placed her cup back onto the saucer in front of herself. "We are not yet sure if it is, but from our reports it seems that there are not only multiple power readings, but there is a training facility that teaches people to use a type of gem to fight."

Hayate thought about what was said while Nanoha and Fate looked at each other questioningly. "So it is a military operation?"

Chrono gave her a light smile. "The data given to us implied that the people being trained there, all female, are being used as a type of 'super weapon' for high ranking officials. Kings and queens, if you will. Their power is so great that just one of them is enough to take on a small army."

"Compared to our mage ranks, how would they be classified?" Fate's red eyes moved to question her brother.

"We are not sure," Lindy revealed reluctantly. "We have not been able to see them in action, as our team was recalled when they were needed to be elsewhere. We have data of everything they learned while there and you all will be given a copy to study before deploying."

"What task are we going to agree to?" Fate pondered aloud.

Chrono waved his hand to bring up several monitors for them. "Going by the reports, this training facility also seems to be a school." The images showed different places around a campus with several people walking around. "If what we were told is true, and a single one of these students possess the ability to become powerful enough to take on a small armed force by themselves, then the T.S.A.B would benefit greatly from this type of training. We want you three to infiltrate and observe first hand what is going on."

Nanoha frowned lightly, making Lindy question her reaction. "Well," She spoke nervously. "I'm not really keen on the idea of stealing people's ways of life just so the T.S.A.B can teach people ways to fight..."

The male of the room sighed lightly. "Nanoha, we are not going there to steal their ways of life." This earned him a questioning look. "Once you three have been there long enough we will go by your reports to see if this planet is capable of making a treaty with our bureau. If so, then in exchange for their training system we will give them technology to better enrich their planet, as well as give them the rights of all others governed by us."

"Oh!" Nanoha blushed, sinking down in her chair lightly as Lindy covered a small smile behind her cup. "I'm sorry."

"Anyway," Fate spoke up, using her fingers to move the monitors around to inspect them all. "This school... you need us to get in, observe, and do reports on what we find out?"

"That is correct," Lindy told her happily. "Chrono and I both think that a mission like this would be great for your first clandestine deployment."

"Clandestine ...?" Nanoha laughed nervously when she was looked at by everyone in the room. "Nya haha..."

Hayate answered the question in place of the leaders across from them. "It means we will be dropped off and picked up later. We will be in charge of ourselves and are to go about this without anyone knowing we are doing it."

A small nod. "That's right." Chrono slid an envelope over to Hayate. "You will be in command. Your job will be to make sure that Nanoha and Fate have an easier time going about their mission. You will be in charge of everything, from getting them into the school, ensuring they are able to survive, to getting them out at any moment. You may assemble a team of no more than two helpers of your choice to ensure you are able to do this." He got a small nod and turned his attention to Fate. "Your job will be to throughly test the training system they undergo. While there, you will be forbidden to use any technology that would be considered 'suspicious' while in public. In other words, you will fight using their tactics and refrain from using your barrier jacket or Bardiche. I'm sure you are aware of the strict rules of using technology on an underdeveloped planet?"

"Yes," The blonde nodded lightly.

"And finally, Nanoha," sets of blue eyes met each other. "You will be Fate's assistant, but your main focus will be on understanding exactly how this training goes. If brought into the bureau, then you will be the one teaching it to others. You could say that this is your first step to becoming a full fledged instructor. Learning by observing and the ability to break apart everything to better understand it is a key factor is being a teacher. This is your first real test on that ability. Fate will rely heavily on you to guide and teach her during this."

"Yes," this time Nanoha nodded at him seriously.

Lindy spoke up again, placing two cubes of sugar into a fresh cup of tea. "Hayate, do you know who you need as your assistants?"

The brown haired girl stared at an image of children playing with an animal that closely resembled a dog on the streets of the town by the school. "I have: I would like to request that Zafira act as my personal bodyguard during this, as well as Yuuno Scrya for his abilities in data manipulation and archiving."

The older woman smiled over her cup. "Granted."

Chrono stood up and got saluted by his two friends and sister when they got to their feet as well. "You will depart in two days. Please make arrangements and inform your families of your extended leave from Earth."

"Sir!"

* * *

"Natsuki!" The name made a blue haired girl turn around to see a fiery red head running up to her. "We're assigned to the same room again this year, isn't that great?"

"Mm," The female known as Natsuki nodded lightly, a small grin on her lips caused from the energetic one next to her. "This will be our last year as Corals. Soon we will be Pearl rank."

"Getting ahead of yourself?" Mai ran in front of her friend and walked backwards, leaning forward just a bit. "Don't slack off now and let someone pass you, number two." The last two words were said a little teasingly, igniting a spark of fire in the green eyes of her friend.

"I will beat you to the number one spot before we are promoted," she declared firmly. The two girls glared at each other a small moment before going into a light grin.

Mai opened the door to their shared dorm and tossed her duffel bag down onto her bed. "Thinking on it, it would be silly for us to be split up since we're already in this room together, huh?"

Natsuki started unloading her bag quickly. "Mm."

"In a hurry?"

"Shizuru onee-sama might need help unloading her things from the three week break."

Leaning back on her bed, Mai looked up at the ceiling. "Ahhhh, you're lucky. You know how many want to be her helper?"

Once a fangirl herself, Natsuki blushed lightly"I don't care." Tossing her now empty bag into the corner, she hurried out of their shared living quarters.

Mai looked at the almost closed door leading out into the hallway thanks to Natsuki's hurry. "Don't be so jealous, Natsuki." She told the empty room with a small smile on her face.

In the halls, Natsuki walked among the other students until she came to another section of dorm rooms. Stepping up to one of them she rapped lightly with her knuckles. "Come in," an accented voice floated gracefully from within. The door was opened and Natsuki stepped inside, closing it behind herself softly. "Ah, Natsuki." Shizuru smiled at the girl knowingly. "Nice to see you again."

"Shizuru onee-sama," She greeted back while walking over to her. "How was your break?"

"Very nice, and yours?" The older girl sat down on her bed and patted her legs. "Come?"

"Yes?" Natsuki was ushered to sit on her friend's lap sideways. "Shizuru onee-sama?"

"My, you've grown." Shizuru brought up her hand to Natsuki's chest and slipped it under the shirt quickly. "But," She cooed at the blushing face before pulling out tissue. "You don't need to stuff."

Blushing hard, the girl on top mentally debated standing up and changing the subject or staying seated as her onee-sama requested. Her dilemma was solved for her when a loud-mouthed blonde walked into the room as well. "We're together again, I see." Haruka Armitage complained loudly. When her eyes spotted the two on the bed, her finger went out instantly in an accusing manor. "We haven't been here four hours yet and you're already seducing someone!?"

Natsuki felt her ears burn as warm arms encircled her stomach. "You're so mean. We were in a good mood too…" Shizuru whispered seductively. "We'll have to continue later..." Her eyes looked up into her underclassman's and lips turned up into her famous gentle smile. '_Natsuki is such a cute girl when she has that angry blush._'

* * *

"How long will you be gone?" Momoko asked her daughter while watching her pack. "Are you sure you don't need to bring clothes with you?"

"A few months, and no, no clothes." Nanoha placed a single change of garments in the bag filled with random items. "The money used on that planet has been copied and explained to us. We have enough to be considered extremely rich, so once we settle down, we will shop for the proper garments native to that region."

"...I don't think I will ever get used to this..." The woman leaned against the door frame with a sad smile. "Going away for months at a time, all by yourself..."

"I'm not alone," Nanoha nodded to herself and zipped the bag closed. "Fate-chan will be with me and Hayate-chan, Yuuno-kun, and Zafira will be supporting us. This is a reconnaissance mission, so besides the training we will be undergoing there is no fighting." The girl stood up and walked to her mother. "I should be going now." After getting a tight hug the two walked down to the living room where Yuuno was waiting on them. "Yuuno-kun!" She called out in a greeting happily. "Sorry I made you wait!" The two gave each other a brief hug before parting. "Thank you for agreeing to help with this mission."

"Sure thing." He took the offered bag and held it for his friend while she hugged the rest of her family members. "Some good news is there is a planet not too far away that is under our treaty," He made conversation to pass the time during the long hugs. "So there is a very good chance of using the system to send mail back and forth. Of course it can't be real-time but it's better than nothing."

Nanoha smiled at hearing this. "Great, I'll write every chance I get, I promise. You remember how to work my player in my room right Mom? Dad?" She got two helpless faces.

"I know how," Nanoha's brother spoke up helpfully. "I remember last time you showed me. How to record as well."

"Great," Nanoha looked at each of them in turn once more before standing next to Yuuno. "I'll be home later... Take care, everyone" With that, she looked up at her best male friend and nodded briefly. A familiar circle appeared on the floor in glowing green lines and by the time she looked around again she was on the Asura. "Hello," she greeted the group casually. "Sorry for making you wait."

Hayate waved it off. "Don't mind, don't mind. We just got here not too long ago."

"Zafira," the Flight Ace knelt down to ruffle the wolf's fur. "I haven't seen you in doggy form in ages."

Through the shiny blue and white coat, a small ting of embarrassed red came through. "With this, we hope to be able to exchange items while on the job. If no one notices this form then I will be able to check in on you two occasionally."

Chrono walked over to the group at that time. "We are ready to transfer to the jump site, is there anything else you need to take care of before then?" The group looked at each other briefly before Hayate shook her head. "Okay then; you will warp to a patrolling ship and from there you will be transferred to your base on Non-administrated planet number 119, also known as Earl by the natives. Here are your data packets." His hand waved in front of himself, sending several monitors flying to the group's respective devices. "Remember, your M2Ds won't function on that planet so you will need to find a way to communicate when out of telekinetic range. Once more, I will stress to you that this mission dependent upon your ability to learn and observe. Refrain from using your jackets unless it is a life threatening situation. You are there to use their combat system, not ours."

"Sir!" The group saluted together and teleported after a short countdown.

Upon their second transit the gang found themselves on top of a building overlooking a vast city closely resembling London back on Nanoha's home planet. "Wow," the Flight Ace breathed out as she walked to the edge to get a better look. "Amazing how different planets can achieve the same look and feel of ones light years away."

Hayate moved some of her hair from her eyes as the wind blew around them. "Well, it's practicality. Humanoid creatures need basic things to survive. Shelter is built depending on the needs... From what I can tell, this seems to be a fairly advanced section of the town... peaceful too."

Fate knelt down to see how far up they were. "We can jump down here. Do we have a place to go?"

"This is my base," Hayate revealed before leaping down into the backyard of the building. Using slight flight manipulation, the team landed safely on the concrete beneath them. "The investigating team that was here before us used this apartment as their safe-hold." Her eyes scanned the area curiously, taking in the surroundings and people walking around them. "Activate language filters." Her device confirmed the action and the world around her suddenly started making more sense. "Have any of you used the language function?"

"Yes," Fate nodded at her.

"I haven't," Nanoha gave an embarrassed chuckle.

Hayate grinned at her friend and held up a finger while explaining. "Your device will auto translate everything that comes in your personal sound area. When you speak, your voice will be changed as well so try not to let people watch your lips while talking too much. Your voice will be altered but your mouth movements won't."

"Won't we sound like our devices then?"

Hayate waved it off. "I don't know the details on that, so just say technology is amazing."

"Ehhhh..." Nanoha looked up and over her shoulder at Yuuno, who shrugged with a small grin on his face. "I see then. Raising Heart, activate language filter?"

"Already done, my Master."

After a small laugh at the girl they continued into the building and observed the layout. A reception desk was spotted, and after a small introduction and a well practiced speech from Hayate, they were given keys to one of the upper floor rooms. "Nice place," Yuuno thought aloud as he let his duffel bag fall to the floor. "Home away from home." Walking over to a corner, he smiled at the metal boxes that were lying down. Several seconds of button pressings passed and soon he was greeted with a floating displays around himself. "Activation complete. We have M2D and connectivity to the patrolling ship from this room."

Nanoha blinked. "But I thought we couldn't use those?"

"Outside of the base of operations it is not preferred," Zafira informed her while the rest started going through the supplies left for them. "As long as we are here, we can observe it. If you were to take a computer with you to your campus, then someone could steal it. Here it is protected by the barriers left by the previous team. Just like on Earth, your homes could be equipped but not your friend's houses."

"I see... Sorry, this is my first time on a non-administrated planet mission, not counting Earth." Nanoha nodded to herself. "Lots to learn... Fate-chan, you're used to this by now?"

"Mm," The blond nodded. "I've done several; a few with Hayate, but this is the first time I don't have a commanding officer in charge... Well, I suppose that _is_ Hayate." She looked over at her brown haired friend and smiled. "Sorry, Commander."

"Oh stop that," She laughed. "It seems we have everything we need...Okay, as of now we are officially on duty. Yuuno,"

"Ma'am?" He smirked.

"Start finding a way to get them into the school," She stuck her tongue out at him. "And don't call me ma'am... Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan-"

"Ma'am!" The two replied at once.

"...Change into some clothes and start looking around the city. We only have one pair each so we will need to buy a few changes. While you are out, see if you can find some type of food, and listen for any information that might come in handy. Zafira, if you would, please patrol the surrounding area and make sure you're seen to judge people's reactions to your wolf form. Preferably go in your puppy size so you will blend in better."

"Yes ma'am." Zafira shifted his form to a smaller size and allowed Nanoha to pick him up on her way out.

"And I," Hayate mused to herself while walking to the couch to bring up her own monitor and keyboard next to Yuuno's. "Will prepare all the information I can get on the school and go over the reports left to us..."

* * *

"And that," a teacher at the front of the classroom finished up, "is the end of today's lesson. I want all of you to practice your under stitchings and be prepared for a test on what you learned next time we meet."

Natsuki pushed the sewing needle into her cushion and tossed the entire thing into a clear plastic box on her desk. Sliding it into her bag, she stood up and sighed softly. "What's this?" A voice from behind made Natsuki jump lightly. Upon turning around she only caught sight of orangish red hair flashing beside her and snatching up the handkerchief that was being sewn on. "Aww, how cute, Natsuki is sewing a doggy!"

"Give me that!" Natsuki grabbed her project from Mai and shoved it into her pocket. "Just because you're good at it doesn't mean everyone else is." Moving away, she started walking out the door along with the flow of students.

"I can help you later, if you want." Mai clasped her hands behind her back. "But it will have to wait; I got us permission to go off campus today. Haruka-sempai signed for both of us."

This perked Natsuki's interest. "Oh? What did you have in mind? If you say karaoke I refuse."

"Aw, Natsukiiiii." Mai put her hands onto her shoulders and started urging her to start moving to the front doors. "I already have a few of our friends ready as well."

The look on her room mate's face made the stubborn girl sigh out and look away. "Fine. I'll stay for a while. After that I'm going to ride."

"Woohoo! Karaoke!" Mai cheered happily as she pushed Natsuki down the halls while ignoring the protest and complaints. When the rest of their friends arrived, they signed themselves out of school and ran down the long stairway on the hill leading to the city below them. The blackish-blue haired girl took her time, walking down casually after the crowd.

"Ara, Natsuki, are you leaving?" Shizuru's accented voice flowed smoothly as they passed on the steps, turning to look at each other.

"Shizuru onee-sama." Natsuki replied politely to her upperclassman. "Mai talked me into singing with her."

"I see. Well then, stay out of trouble okay?" Her hand went to Natsuki's left arm and touched it gingerly above the long sleeves. "I don't want my precious helper to hurt herself driving too fast."

Natsuki looked away, trying to recover from the shock of having it known she rented a motorcycle and laid it over last time she was out. "I..." She couldn't find it in herself to lie to Shizuru, so instead she simply nodded. "I'll be careful."

"That's a good girl. I won't forgive anyone who hurts you, even if it's you." With that confusing statement, Shizuru continued up the stairs and left Natsuki to ponder.

As the group re-assembled together to go into the town, Natsuki looked around boredly. Having no real interest in singing, she instead thought of what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Shizuru's statement could very well have meant that if she ever hurt herself on a bike again, she would be forbidden to ride anymore. This didn't sit well with her so the best choice of action would be to lay low for a while. Her eyes looked down while walking and caught sight of a blueish puppy wandering the streets. "Hey," She called to it, making the dog stop to look before being scooped up into her hands. "You could get stepped on walking around like that." The dog looked at her with intelligent eyes, making her suddenly feel as if she didn't need to warn it.

"Fourteen!?" A female's voice asked loudly not far from the two. "Fate-chan, there's no way!"

"They will have to believe it," another voice came up. "We can't change what we can't change." Two females stopped in their tracks when they noticed Natsuki holding Zafira in her hands. "Zafira!" The blond stated in an almost scolding tone. "I told you not to wonder around like that. Thank you for finding him." She reached out and was handed the puppy. "He runs off all the time."

"No problem," Natsuki waved it off.

"Are you," The brown haired girl with a lopsided ponytail leaned forward. "A student of Garderobe?"

"Eh?"

"You're uniform," She pointed out happily. "I think that's the standard for a Coral?"

"Oh. Yes. Do you have some business with the school?"

"Well actually," The girl smiled. "We moved here to attend. Our first day is tomorrow."

"Attend...?" Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "Almost two weeks late? The school is very strict about these things... And I think we're already at the limit of new students."

The two girls didn't seem phased by the words and the blond spoke up again. "We told the school we would be late, there was important things to take care of back home. Nanoha and I just happen to meet here today."

"Natsukiiiiiiii!" Mai's voice called from across the street as she waved above her head. "Come on!"

Nanoha nodded to the school member. "Thank you again for finding Fate-chan's puppy."

"No problem," with a turn, she walked towards the girls waiting for her. "If that's the case, I'll see you tomorrow." Her voice clearly showed that she didn't believe them.

Nanoha frowned slightly. "Achaaaa... She's not very friendly is she?"

"We are strangers," Fate replied without worry. After setting Zafira down and letting him run off again the two resumed walking down the sidewalks of the town surrounding them. "But back on topic, I'm sixteen, there is no chance they will take me for a fourteen year old. I'm too tall."

"We can say you are from a region where girls are tall," Nanoha replied simply.

"And my breasts?" Fate pointed to her chest. "A girl just hitting puberty wouldn't be so full."

Nanoha glared. "Don't rub it in. You're only a little bigger than me." Taking a turn, she looked up at the sky. "Hayate-chan already has it on their files. We are transferring from a small region of land controlled by a king named Yuuno. Because it is a new leadership they haven't made any treaties with anyone yet and their first goal is to obtain two Otome to defend their land."

Fate sighed. "I'm glad Yuuno knows what he's doing. He told me it was hard to crack into their system, even with the technology of the T.S.A.B behind him. I don't know what kind of computers they have at that school but we don't need to change anything more than we have to. Do you have your past memorized yet?"

"Takamachi Nanoha, born in the Zipang region. Fourteen years old and an orphan from the get-go. Adopted by the new king Yuuno who rules his land with peace and honesty. My tuition was paid for completely up front, including all meal plans." She winked at Fate. "I may not be the best at missions like you are, but I love reading and learning. Something like this is easy for me."

Fate looked relieved at hearing this. "Good. I was a little worried since this isn't your main focus. I hope everything goes smooth for us..." A few cars drove by in front of them as they stood at a cross section. Beside them stood a woman around their age in dirty looking clothing that revealed her stomach. A hood covered her hair and most of her face, extending out to be almost a cape. Fate looked over at her curiously as they walked the same direction. Light purple hair fell from the covered head and caught in the sunlight, almost sparkling._ 'If that woman is so _poor,' Fate mused while keeping an eye on her._ 'She should spend more money on important things rather than keeping her hair so clean_.'

The covered woman stopped at a fruit stand on the street and parked herself next to a small child who was looking nervously around before reaching a hand out to snatch a piece of food. Acting quickly, the woman caught the small wrist and looked into the fearful eyes of the child. "Stealing is wrong," She whispered lightly, reaching into her pocket to produce enough money to buy the child something to eat. "If you need food, go to a shelter and ask for some."

Fate smiled to herself as they passed, eye catching the sparkle of an expensive ring holding a sapphire gem in it as the woman ruffled the kid's hair. "I think this planet may have some interesting things to see," She mused aloud, making Nanoha tilt her head curiously to the side.

* * *

Author's Notes: For those who don't know much about Mai-Otome, Nanoha and Fate will be learning as they go, so the readers will learn along with them. Also, I'd like to point out that this cross-over does not happen at any specific time or place in the Otome series. It is just generally around when Natsuki and Shizuru are in Garderobe. In order to make some of the Otome cast available for use but not having them interrupt the storyline, I made them a little older. Arika and Mashiro are around seventeen or eighteen, and Arika is no longer in Garderobe. These two are the only ones who jumped time as of right now.

A fact that should be noted is that because this is a crossover, it can not be completely canon. Although I will try to make it be like each series as best I can, please don't complain about little things that had to be changed in order to make this work.

As always thoughts, ideas, and suggestions are welcome. Special thanks to the handful of Anonymous who offered me advice. I hope I can improve my writing during this fic.

Also, thank you to Angel, who proofed this for me and helped me get personalities down. Finally, lots of thanks to EA Simpson, who gave me lots and lots of Otome knowledge.


	2. Chapter 2

Truth by told, I was a little nervous about going to the school today. Fate-chan was calm like always, but I felt a sick feeling in the back of my throat. She has done things like this a few times already but this was my first time to ever go undercover. If I messed this up, then the entire mission would be in jeopardy. To make up for my nervousness, I had gone over the reports that Hayate-chan was given and could almost literally quote them word for word. I knew my 'past', Fate-chan's 'past' and a lot about the Otome as well. Of course, all of this meant little because most of the facts given to me were common knowledge on this planet. Going by public reference books only meant that I would stand out less than someone ignorant of that information. What we needed the most was severely under researched so we would have to play almost everything by ear once we were on the inside. My partner told me it was time to go and I nodded lightly. Hayate-chan put a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me, making my nervousness ease up a little. Both of the males nodded at us and I felt just a little more confident knowing they were standing behind me. Finally I stood up and walked with Fate outside of the apartment door and started making our way down to the bottom floor.

**Dream Wing II**

**By: Satashi**

"Two ranks: Coral and Pearl. Fifty students per rank, and the top twenty-five graduate. This can take anywhere from two to four years depending on the skill of the individual. The graduates are official Otome and guard nobles or rulers. A select few have the chance to become Meister Otome, whose lives are bound to the master they serve..."

"Calm down," Fate whispered to her friend softly as they walked through the town towards the school. "If you ramble like that then it will draw attention to us."

"Sorry," Nanoha took a breath to steady herself and looked up at the sky above them. "I'm just a little uneasy." The scenery passed slowly as they walked together down the sidewalks. The buildings, ranged from only a few stories up to massive heights that towered them greatly. Several holographic images were displayed around certain areas displaying names of stores, or were simply decoration to attract customers. Trees littered the area, offering shade every few feet, and making the atmosphere rather pleasant. "Isn't it strange?" Fate turned to look at her questioningly. "As advanced as this place is, the architecture seems a little primitive. Why would they use brick and stone instead of metal and concrete? The technology seems better than Earth's, but the execution seems slower?"

Fate chuckled to herself, and answered in her normal soft tone. "The designs don't reflect how advanced a place is, Nanoha. This area is surrounded by desert, but the inside here is cooler than the outside, and has plenty of water. Large buildings of metal and glass wouldn't keep the sun's harsh rays out and would reflect on the panes, making it hotter for everything around. The stones will absorb the heat while the trees and awnings give shade to make it appear as if it isn't as hot as it should be. Also, the current trend of this country seems to like these designs." Looking over at her friend, she gave another example. "You could compare it to you transferring planets and using an intelligent device, but still liking the design of log cabins for houses."

Nanoha felt embarrassed at hearing that and rubbed the back of her neck lightly. "I suppose that's true. I really have a long way to go before I'm up to the standards of people brought up on Mid-Childa, huh?"

The blond shook her head. "No, you are doing fine. It isn't your job to research things like that. You are a combat instructor, not an enforcer." Reaching out, she took Nanoha's hand to give it an encouraging squeeze. "Just like I have no way of taking in everything I see the way you do. I may be experienced on traveling planets and blending in, but I am slow when it comes to learning new things. There would be no way I could do this without you. I'm counting on you, Nanoha."

"Mm!" With the small pep-talk, the blue eyed girl nodded to herself. "We can do this. I have faith now!" The two stopped at the large stairway leading up to a massive building at the top of the hill. "That should be the central hub for information, as well as the headmaster's office. The school is..." Her eyes scanned the area, pleased at seeing lots of trees and grass everywhere despite the city being at the base of the massive hill. "Right there," She pointed at a building that was visible through the leaves from their position. "There should be several buildings; I guess we will see them as we go up."

"Right," Fate began walking up the stairs, followed closely by Nanoha. "Remember, we are in their system but they don't know it yet. We have to act surprised when they say we're not enrolled and get them to check everything to see that we are. Stay calm, but at the same time, act natural. If you are a little nervous when it happens, it will be better than acting as we were expecting their reaction."

"Right," Nanoha mimicked her word and moved to the side to leave the steps half way up and begin walking down a stone paved walkway. "This campus is really beautiful," she observed with interest. Neatly trimmed hedges lined their path, and trees filled in the gaps with well kept thick grass under them. Her head turned to look back over the city, and took a small impressed intake of air came to appreciate it. The town stretched on for ages under them, buildings lining the horizon. "I feel so small..."

Fate chuckled again, and paused their walk to allow Nanoha to take in the view from their height. She knew that not being able to fly for several days now had made Nanoha a little upset deep down, and even if it was something like this, she wanted her friend to have her moment to enjoy the view she so longed for. After several moments, Nanoha finally turned back and smiled at her, nodding to show that she was ready again. Together they walked to the first building and felt air conditioning cool them off immediately. "I don't suppose we should have headed to the headmaster's office first?"

"Better to have a teacher escort us, I think." The other girl looked around. "On Earth that was the way it always worked: new students looked around until a teacher or another student found them and brought them to where they are supposed to go. If we are from another country, we shouldn't know exactly where to go right off the bat, right?"

Red eyes beamed at her. "And you said you weren't good at this kind of stuff..." their conversation stopped when a woman in a black dress entered the lobby area where they were standing from a side door. "Ah, Excuse me!" Fate's words made her stop and look at them questioningly. "Um, we're the two students who were scheduled to make it here a little late..."

* * *

"How could this have happened!?" The assistant headmaster slammed her hands onto a desk, scattering papers.

"Now, now," The headmistress clasped her hands in front of herself casually.

"This isn't the time for 'now, now'!" The first woman complained loudly. "How in the world could two students from an unknown region get enrolled without us knowing!?"

The woman in the black dress that had originally met the two girls sighed softly to herself. "Miku, there must have been an error in the system."

Miku, the woman sitting behind the desk, smiled simply. "An error that was made on our part. We accepted their tuition money, enrolled them, and even ordered uniforms for them." Her hands flipped through the folder that had just been printed out for her. "It says here that they paid last semester before the end of the school year because the king they are going to serve is in dire need for protection. Poor fellow, starting a new rule from the ruins of his invaded land... I can see how he would be so desperate to get Otome."

"Headmistress!" The other woman looked at her in shock. "We already have fifty students in the coral class! If we allow them to enroll-"

"But we did allow it, Rin." Miku moved one of her twin green pigtails from her shoulder and reached to sip her cup of coffee. "The banks confirmed that the money was deposited into our account on the date that matches our records. Also, their uniforms were delivered this morning as well. I was wondering why we had them made when Miss Maria brought the two girls here."

Rin rubbed her nose to try and soothe the headache forming. "You're always too calm about things..."

"And you're always too strict," Miku countered with a happy smile. "This was our fault, you can't expect me to tell those two inspiring girls to go back home after we accepted them and went through all the paperwork? Miss Maria, what do you say?"

The older woman cleared her throat to try and buy herself a few moments to think. "Well..." After looking at Miku's smile she admitted defeat. "I suppose it was just mis-communication... They were indeed scheduled to arrive two weeks late to allow time for their traveling. I guess the paperwork got misunderstood and we brought in two girls that should have been turned down."

"So," Miku stood up and brushed her uniform to dispatch any wrinkles that might have formed while sitting. "Let's bring those two in and officially welcome them properly, shall we?"

"Yes ma'am." Maria bowed lightly and made her way across the room to open the door. "You girls may come in now."

* * *

"You two are very lucky," An woman in her early twenties made conversation with the two new students as she hooked a device around their arms, each in turn. "I heard there was a lot of misunderstanding about your enrollment?"

"Yes ma'am," Nanoha replied while watching her left warm being encased by the strange bracelet. The woman had light brown hair and purple eyes and was wearing what appeared to be this planet's version of a lab coat. Although she seemed friendly enough, Nanoha's eyes were looking at her arm nervously. "Um, what exactly is going on right now...uhm...?"

"Yohko," She replied casually while pushing buttons on a machine next to the beds the two were laying on. "Yohko Helene. I am putting the nanomachines into your body via I.V."

"I.V.?" Nanoha asked shyly, watching two clear plastic tubes being placed on top of the device. The tubes ran upwards to a clear plastic bag filled with an orangish material. "...I hate needles."

Fate groaned, having had her own I.V. started prior to Nanoha's. "I feel hot..."

"Oh?" Yohko tampered with Nanoha a few more moments, finally starting the flow and checking to make sure everything was right. Once the girl started squirming the older one turned back to Fate and observed her. "Your average girl warms up during the process, it's natural. Right now the nanomachines are being infused into your bloodstream so you may feel sleepy once your body starts getting used to it. Don't worry, you are almost done." Her eyes checked the bag and nodded to herself. "Just a few more minutes."

"I don't feel good..." Fate spoke again, voice weak. "I feel... sick."

"Sick?" Yohko moved to inspect Fate closer. "Oh my, you're sweating quite a lot. Do you think you will throw up?"

The blond closed her eyes and took a long intake of air. "I... I think I might."

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha sat up nervously. "Are you okay?"

"Lay down," Yohko informed her, pushing the girl onto her back gently. "I'll take care of your friend."

"Fate-chan..." Nanoha looked over at her friend and cursed the fact that she couldn't take her hand or anything. "Hang in there, okay?" The girl across from her brought one of her legs up, only to push it back out. Her hands gripped the sheets of the bed and mouth opened to pant for air. Sweat rolled down her cheek but was wiped away by Yoko's freshly dampened rag.

"Stay still," The woman advised gently. "If you think you'll get sick I have a wastebasket right here. Take deep breaths, don't move too much... that's good."

Nanoha felt even sadder when her view of Fate was cut off by the woman. "She will be okay, right?"

"Every now and then there are girls who have this problem..." She turned back to Fate. "You're a virgin aren't you?"

"Of... of course," Fate managed out softly, swallowing. "Why?"

Nanoha opened her mouth to reply but Yohko was faster. "The nanomachines are vulnerable to the prostate specific antigen, and it will make the body build an immunity to them. Which means that if you engage in sexual intercourse with a male then you will lose your powers as an Otome."

Fate blushed lightly, trying to just keep from throwing up, and allowed Nanoha to answer for her. "She's a virgin, I am too." She declared firmly.

Yohko looked over her shoulder at Nanoha. "Do you feel alright?"

"Eh? Yes, I feel fine." She tried to get Fate into her line of sight again and Yohko moved to the side to allow it. "Fate-chan..." Her friend smiled weakly before closing her eyes and falling quiet. "Fate-chan!?"

"She just passed out," The doctor examined her briefly before taking off the device on her arm. "Some girls sleep for two or three days after getting the injection, that's why we do this over a three week break between school years." turning back to Nanoha, she picked up a small golden earring with a coral gem inside of it. "Are your ears pierced?"

"No ma'am?" Nanoha swallowed. "I don't like needles."

"This won't hurt at all." Loading the earring into a gun type device, Yohko encouraged Nanoha to lean her head to the side and placed her earlobe in the notch near the tip of the imitation gun. "Just a little prick." Pulling the trigger, she pierced Nanoha's ear and locked the earring into place at the same time. "There you go, Nanoha." Silence greeted her. "Nanoha?" Moving back, she blinked down at the girl who had her eyes closed. "...She fainted from something like this?" Yohko brought her hand to her forehead. "Really. What was their king thinking, sending these two?"

* * *

"Hey, hey, did you hear?" Natsuki looked up from her lunch, ears trying to tune out the loud mouthed group sitting beside her at the tables. "Two more students came today!"

"Ehhhhhh?" The collected chorus of cries came out at once. "No way, that's so unfair!"

"I wonder what kind of trick they used to get in?"

"Did they bribe the headmistress?"

"No way!"

"They had to do something!"

The blue haired girl growled slightly, halting her angry glare when a person sat down next to her. "Natsuki," The accent gave away the owner even before the sweet scent invaded her nose. "If you furrow your brow so much you will get wrinkles." Shizuru's long brown hair was tossed over her shoulders before her hands moved to start cutting her food to eat. "It's not like you to listen to gossip."

"Ah." Going back to her meal, she took a bite from her hamburger. Once she swallowed and drank from her beverage she revealed, what had upset her. "I ran into those girls yesterday while I was in town. If they were accepted into the school and given permission to be a little late then I suspect that there is something about them that isn't quite normal." Looking over at Shizuru, she set her face again. "They didn't seem like anything special. I would say that they are normal looking girls-eh?" Her eyes went to follow Shizuru's hand on the way to her cheek.

"You have some mayonnaise on your face," The older teen told her lightly as she wiped it off.

Natsuki felt her cheeks color as her friend slowly licked the white cream from her fingers. "Are you even listening to me?"

"I'll always listen to what Natsuki says." Shizuru replied smoothly, her smile coming onto her face again. "You think that there is more to them than meets the eye?"

"...I get that feeling."

Going back to her food, Shizuru slowly brought a bite to her mouth. "If you're interested, I saw quite the sight on my way to lunch...?" Her eyes looked sideways at Natsuki's curious face and chuckled lightly to herself.

* * *

"Mai!" Natsuki ran to her roommate as she was leaving one of the dorm rooms. "The two new girls, are they in this room?"

"Mmn," The redhead nodded lightly. "They seem really tired. Nanoha is still out of it from her nanomachine injection and her friend, Fate I think her name was, is sleeping."

"I wanted to see them," Natsuki looked at the door with a disappointed expression. "I was going to ask them some questions..."

"There will be time for that later," Mai put her hand on her friend's back and started leading her away. "I told Nanoha that I would come pick her up for class tomorrow, you can come with me."

Natsuki looked over her shoulder at the door, noting that it was right next to her dorm. "Ah. I guess so."

Inside the room Nanoha yawned sleepily while tucking her friend in one of the beds. "I'll have to thank Mai-chan again later for carrying you for me," her words were spoken softly. One of her hands moved to brush the blond hair from Fate's face and gently trail over her friend's cheek. "Fate-chan... Please be okay." Nanoha's hand shifted lightly to brush away strands of gold and reveal the earring that matched hers.

After staring for a few moments the girl stood up reluctantly and began unloading the bags they had carried with them. '_Yohko-sensei said that it was common for girls to sleep for a while after being injected... but still, I can't help but worry._' Her eyes glanced back over at Fate's quiet form a moment before going back to the dresser. '_What if her body... rejects the nanomachines? She wasn't born the way I was...but..._' Shaking her head, she went back to unloading. '_Don't think like that. Fate-chan will be fine, I just know it.'_

Once their things were unloaded, Nanoha took a moment to sit on her bed and really take in the room that would be their temporary home for a while. It was a large room, made smaller by two people sharing it. The door opened up into a rectangular shaped floor plan, having a nice walk in for a few feet before a bed on either side took up most of the room. At the headboard of each sat a small desk just big enough for one person to study at. A closet accented one side, scarcely big enough to allow them to cram their outfits in. The walls were currently void of any posters or pictures, desks clean and barren. "It's kind of bland in here..." Nanoha spoke softly, the silence starting to get to her. "Raising Heart?"

"Yes Master?"

"Scan Fate-chan please."

"Lack of M2D prohibits remote scan. Please ask Bardiche."

Nanoha chuckled without humor. "Bardiche?" The mechanical male voice answered her in question. "How is Fate-chan?"

"Resting, sir."

The girl face palmed. "I mean, will she be okay?"

"Heart rate has slowed and I detect alien matter in her bloodstream. At the current stage, I see nothing life threatening."

Falling back onto the free bed, the brown haired girl looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you, Bardiche..." Letting out a small sigh, she closed her eyes to rest.

When Nanoha awoke again, the sun outside her window was setting, casting a dark orange through the open blinds between the two desks. As she sat up, her eyes went back to Fate and frowned when the girl hadn't moved any since she last checked on her. The sheets rustled under her body while she turned to stand and pad over to the blond. She touched their foreheads together softly, checking the warmth of body heat coming from her skin. With a soft sigh Nanoha stood again and placed a hand over her stomach. She knew she wouldn't be able to think on an empty stomach, so she set out in search of the cafeteria on campus to see if she could scrounge up some food.

The hallway outside of her room looked elegant; cream walls with gold trim to enhance the wood designs. What was left of the day's light illuminated the floor, broken by her shadow moving along with her body. Room after room was passed until she came to an exit and out into the fresh air outside. The wind held a clean scent to it, accented with a faint touch of what could only be described as 'summer'. Blue eyes scanned the area until she noticed a building not to far away from her. Through the windows she could see several students hustling about and talking to each other casually. Deciding that would be a good place to start, she walked down the steps and onto the flat stone walkway.

Again she noticed the greenery around herself, despite the elegant designs of the buildings and fancy walkways. There always seemed to be something to make her feel at ease, and the overview of the town below helped ease her desire to fly and explore. Her destination came closer, and the door opened easily to her command. Sounds of dishes clattering and people talking came at once, paired with a scent that made her stomach growl at her for skipping both breakfast and lunch. Her ears lead her closer to the sound and soon she found herself in a very large room filled with tables and students. At first, she could only stand there, observing everything, but soon moved forward to what seemed to be a line.

Nanoha felt the eyes on her and shivered lightly. Loud talking soon turned to whispers as she passed by several groups sectioned off by empty seats. '_Maybe I should have changed into my uniform..._' The thought came too late for her and sharp ears caught many wisps of comments on her attire. "Excuse me," she greeted the last person in the line. "I joined school late... Would this be where we eat dinner?" A small nervous laugh came at the end of her question when two more students turned to look at her. No answer came at first, making the girl shyly bring a hand to scratch the back of her neck.

"You should help new students when they are lost," a sweet accented voice made all of the girls turn to see a Pearl class girl with long brown hair and red eyes.

"Shizuru onee-sama!" The previously quiet girls spoke at the same time, making Nanoha take a step back in surprise.

The Pearl put a hand on Nanoha's shoulder and gave her a knowing smile. "You are one of the two students who had to come in late, are you not?"

"Y-yes..." Nanoha looked into the eyes observing her and felt a small connection due to their color. "My name is Nanoha. A pleasure to meet you...Shizuru...-san?" She added the last part when the group around them gave her odd looks.

"Likewise," she gave a small bow. "To answer your question: yes. The students here take turns cooking so make sure you know when your schedule is in, okay?"

"Okay." The girl's stomach growled again, leaving her quite embarrassed when the others around her giggled.

"You poor thing, you must be famished after having your nanomachine injection today." Shizuru's eyes turned to the few girls in front of her. "Would you mind if this one cut in front of you?" Her smile made the girls step back immediately.

Nanoha blushed more when her wrist was taken and her body being pulled to the front of the line. "Ah, no, I can wait, really..." Before she could protest anymore she found a tray in her hands that was quickly loaded up with several things she could vaguely make out when comparing them to things she knew._ 'Seems like this planet has the same food tastes as Earth..._' Shizuru lead her to a table near the windows and sat down in front of her, observing more than eating. "Thank you for that," Nanoha mused as she tried not to stuff her face with the food she found surprisingly tasty.

"It was no trouble." The girl's eyes stared into the person in front of her, taking in every action. "Where are you from again?"

The mage's chewing slowed down briefly before she swallowed. "Zipang."

"Oh, Mai is from Zipang."

"I was born there," Nanoha continued, swaying the conversation as Fate taught her. "I was raised in Aikadi, it's a little away from Florince."

"I have never heard of that place."

"It's small but pretty." She moved to eat more, plucking things with the fork and placing it into her mouth. "This is really good."

Shizuru grinned, closing her eyes a moment before starting to eat as well. "Why did you decide to become an Otome, if I may ask?"

Judging the question, the pony tailed girl answered as best she could. "My country is small and recovering from almost being destroyed. I want to become powerful so I can protect it and the serenity of the surrounding area."

"That's lovely," The Pearl smiled again at her. "If you ever need help, please don't hesitate to ask me."

"Really?" Nanoha perked up instantly.

"Ah," The knowing smile came again. "Someone as cute as you is always welcome to ask."

"Ah-hem!" Both girls turned to see Natsuki standing behind the oldest of the group. "I see you managed to get in after all," She addressed Nanoha with a cross between amusement and disbelief. "How did you manage that?"

"Now now," Shizuru looked up at the girl and locked their eyes. "Don't be jealous, we were only talking."

Natsuki sat down next to her friend and started eating. "Who's jealous? Seriously."

"That pouting face..." Shizuru whispered, leaning closer. "Is really cute, Na-tsu-ki."

Nanoha blushed darkly, looking down at her food to give them some privacy. Having attacked the meal quickly to satisfy her hunger, not much was left. Her fork went to slowly pick at the rest of the food so it wouldn't go to waste while her mind wandered. All around herself she could feel eyes boring into her body, whispers floating around as to why she was with Shizuru, who appeared to be pretty famous. The situation reminded her of when Fate originally transferred to her school back on Earth, how everyone paid extra attention to the blond to decide if she was worth talking to or to bombard with questions. Now in that situation herself, with attention already drawn on her, she felt even more alone. "Ne," She asked before she thought twice about it. "It is common... to sleep a lot after getting nanomachines right?"

Natsuki looked over at the girl and thought the question over before swallowing her mouthful. "Sometimes, yes. It varies on different girls... Didn't they tell you this in the pre-examinations?"

"Um," she cursed her slip up. "It was done really fast so I didn't have time to get most of the questions and facts stated to me..." She glanced nervously at the pair before going back to look at Natsuki expectingly for the rest of the answer but Shizuru continued instead.

"Some sleep for a few days while others don't sleep at all. You seem to be just fine so I'm expecting to see something interesting tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

The girl with blue hair explained it to her fellow Coral. "We split into groups and train one-on-one during our physical education class. You are going to dive head first into everything."

Nanoha nervously looked back down at her food. "Nya...haha..."

Natsuki sighed out. "I'll ask to be your partner." This earned her a look, at which she looked away from. "Being the new girl on campus must be pretty hard, after all."

Shizuru covered a small laugh. "She acts tough, but deep down Natsuki a caring person."

"Shizuru onee-sama!"

Relieved, Nanoha smiled her appreciation. "Thank you, Natsuki-chan."

"...What's your name?"

"Nanoha Takamachi," She stated proudly to her new friend. "Just Nanoha is fine."

"Well then, Nanoha," Natsuki met eyes again with her. "I'll come with Mai in the morning to pick you up. We will be at your door a little before seven."

* * *

"Okay!"

Author's Notes:

M2D: A term brought over from my _6__th__ Division_ storyline. It stands for "Mobile Monitor Display", and refers to the floating screens they can summon at will. I normally make this unavailable on non-administrated planets unless they have a hard case computer there to allow for its access.

Also, things are still playing out. Please don't assume everything is perfectly-fine and complain how things "would never work out that easily." If something is easy now it just means that no problem has arisen at that current moment. Don't worry over things I haven't written yet, things will be touched on as they come up. Thank you for your consideration and I hope I can play everything out to the majority's satisfaction.

P.S- Thank you for proofing again, Angel.


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